Author Description

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) is more than "that fellow who got evolution wrong". It has been said that "it is difficult to think of any… major biologist who has been as scandalously misrepresented, especially by fellow biologists, as Lamarck". As the first theorist of evolution, he was the first to theorize human evolution from apes, the first to respond to many of objections raised since then, such as the apparent lack of evolution in recorded history. He was the first to outline a theology compatible with evolution. He was the first to explore the implications of evolution for human psychology. He also applied an evolutionary lens to social problems. In "Investigations on the Organization of Living Bodies" (1802), Lamarck first presented his complete theory of evolution. Lamarck's works are clearly and simply written, and surely deserve a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in biology, evolution, the history and philosophy of science. This is the only English translation of this short, but important, book in the history of human thought.